The MTN ties of Iran, the telecommunications firm chaired by South Africa’s new envoy with the United States, Mcebisi Jonas, could damage the effects of reputation on the finish line and other firms as MTN is seen in scrutiny.
Jonas, who was appointed recent instead of the expelled ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, is a former finance minister seen in South Africa as one of the few members of the ruling party until corruption.
However, as Breitbart News and others have reported, Jonas also presides over MTN, who has ties of Iran that have been involved in a recent demand in the Eastern District of New York, claiming support for Iranian terror.
The complaint also names other controversial companies, including ZTE and Huawei, which have been criticized for their ties with China and the potential use in surveillance against the United States and its allies.
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a group of American plaintiffs, including members of the Gold Star family whose relatives lost their lives in Iraq while serving, will be allowed to process, in which MTNY that threatens the fall of the MTNYS (IRGC) operations revolutionary body (IRGC).
As MTN Group links with Iran are under a legal and media focus, there are risks for US companies.
For example, MTN announced a new association on Tuesday with the Facebook parent company, “to improve the quality of voice and video calls on real -time communication platforms, including WhatsApp.”
The commentator Michael Walsh, who writes frequently about African matters, said Tuesday:
In the next few days, Meta will have to answer questions about why he has chosen to participate in a strategic association with a South African company that maintains significant links with a strategic adversary of the United States. It is not as if the goal was not aware of the maximum pressure campaign that the United States government releases against Iran. It doesn’t matter how it responds, this development raises a significant risk for shareholders. It also raises serious questions about the due diligence of other US companies that operate in South Africa (EC, Microsoft).
A Meta spokesman told Breitbart News on Wednesday that the association with MTN extended only to African markets, and that Meta did not work with the Iranian subsidiary of MTN.
In a statement, Meta said: “Like many other US companies, we work with MTN Group, the largest mobile supplier in Africa. Meta does not have, and has never had any commercial relationship with the subsidiary and Iran of Iran of MTN.
The Meta spokesman also pointed out that Meta is not only among US companies to work with the MTN group in telecommunications companies. Others include Microsoft, Mastercard, Accenture and Genesys.
Notly, the Iranian regime prohibits Facebook and Instagram, among other US social media companies.
However, Walsh said, American companies face risks when carrying out joint companies with the MTN group. Hey, also observed that Jonas’ election by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa could complicate ties with the United States, instead of repairing them.
Joel B. Pollak is a senior editor in general in Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday In Sirius XM Patriot on Sundays at night from 7 pm to 10 pm et (4 pm at 7 pm pt). Hey is the author of The agenda: What Trump should do in its first 100 daysAvailable for pre-pedd at Amazon. He is also the author of Trump’s virtues: the lessons and legacy of the presidency of Donald TrumpNow available in audible. He is a winner of the student community of journalism Robert Novak 2018. Follow it on Twitter in @joelpollak.